Strengthening Agoric’s Validator Set for Greater Decentralization and Resilience

As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the Agoric network, the maximum size of the active validator set has been reduced from 100 seats to 30. This change is designed to improve network efficiency, resilience, and security while promoting healthier economics for the validators.

In line with this transition, the DCF redelegated a portion of their staked tokens to help maintain diversity and support smaller, ecosystem-aligned validators who consistently contribute to governance, community education, and technical reliability. It is expected that Agoric will also be taking steps to redelegate their staked tokens in the near future.

Our goal is simple:

  • Resilience – ensure the network remains secure and performant even as the set tightens

  • Diversity – encourage a broad mix of validators representing the full Agoric ecosystem

  • Decentralization – prevent stake concentration and support validators who demonstrate long-term alignment with Agoric’s mission

We value validators who engage in governance, communicate with the community, and invest in Agoric’s future. This redelegation process reflects those priorities and aims to build a more balanced and mission-driven validator cohort going forward.

The active validator set is dynamic by design. Validators just outside the top 30 remain close to entry and can move into the active set as others exit, fall below thresholds, or fail to meet participation and performance criteria. This fluidity helps ensure ongoing competitiveness and reinforces network health through continuous renewal.

If you’re a validator or delegator and have questions about the transition, please comment here.

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Agoric supports these goals, and will similarly continue with delegation on validators on the cusp. We especially prioritize help we receive in test and upgrades, ongoing chain services, engagement with other validators, and geo-diversity.

If you offer a unique service for the chain, or have your validator running a unique jurisdiction or geography, please feel free to add a reply.

Hi @dtribble @ricDCF ,
I am replying on behalf of vitwit.

Vitwit would love to support Agoric and the upcoming YMAX app with an x402 facilitator, relayers, archive nodes, state sync, and other developments.

Vitwit has previously been a core contributor for development and a validator in Akash Network, Cosmos, Polygon amongst others.